FUTURE in Biomedicine℠ fellows and students

From the Director

The FUTURE - Fostering Undergraduate Talent - Uniting Research and Education - in Biomedicine℠ Program of the UI Carver College of Medicine seeks to foster a network of scientist-educators throughout the state of Iowa to enhance preparation of students for biomedically related careers in research or clinical practice, and to share the unique resources of the UI Carver College of Medicine with our colleagues at primarily undergraduate institutions.

First-time Faculty Fellows in the class of 2014 came from Coe College and Loras College. Returning Senior Faculty Fellows were from Drake University, Hawkeye Community College, Mount Mercy University and Wartburg College. This year we had first-time Visiting Fellows from Drake University and Graceland College.

To promote education and research, each Fellow selected an undergraduate student to participate in the experimental studies conducted during the summer. The departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Radiation Oncology hosted paticipants.

The program includes many exciting activities, beginning with orientation in late May. During the summer, there are programs of weekly seminars or panel discussions, closing with the Research Symposium in August. In the fall, in collaboration with the Biosciences Program, we host a Biomedical Pre-Graduate School Conference, timed to coincide with the Pre-Medical School Conference. To our mutual benefit, alumni Faculty Fellows continue to participate in these events, building stronger intercollegiate ties among primarily undergraduate institutions in Iowa.

Several Faculty Fellows have developed ongoing collaborations with their host laboratories or other UI Carver College of Medicine faculty they met while in residence on our campus. Past Fellows have conducted subsequent sabbatical research in Iowa City, published scientific papers with UI faculty, presented their studies at national or international conferences and participated in successful grant applications to fund collaborative research. They continue to use libraries and core research facilities, and recommend our training programs to their students.

The 2014 Faculty Fellows and student had varied interests at the start of the summer. As they describe in their testimonials, their experiences on our campus changed their view of their own future and created stronger ties with the University of Iowa. Several students from past classes have pursued Ph.D. or M.D. degrees, or became research assistants or clinical technicians. We look forward to learning about the next steps of the Class of 2014!

We thank all of the individuals who applied to the FUTURE in Biomedicine℠ Program and appreciate the commitment of their academic colleagues who nominated them. We look forward to the coming year bringing new opportunities to foster scientific and educational interactions among academic institutions throughout Iowa.